It’s October, and Edwin Encarnacion is still swinging a hot bat for the Indians. Among all the differences between this Indians team and the one that came up one run short last year in the World Series, that might be the biggest difference of all.

Encarnacion took a scorched earth policy in September. He clubbed seven home runs, had 29 RBI and hit .320 with 31 hits in 97 at-bats. He struck out 18 times, walked 15 times and was intentionally walked once. The numbers prove he did not walk to the plate with an all-or-nothing attitude.

“I feel really good,” Encarnacion said through a translator in the Tribe clubhouse on Oct. 3. “I try to do the same thing every time. I had a good month. God wanted it that way.”

Mike Napoli was so important to the Indians’ success in the regular season last year that it seems cold-hearted to blame him for what happened in the postseason, but the fact is his decline began in September of last year and continued through October and early November.

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Napoli homered five times and drove in 13 runs in September 2016, but he also struck out 28 times and hit just .153. It was a portent of things to come in the American League playoffs and the World Series.

Napoli played in 15 playoff games last year. He struck out 21 times in 52 at-bats, homered only once and drove in three runs — this from a player who drove in 101 runs in the regular season. He had only one hit with runners in scoring position in the entire postseason.

The Indians lost Game 7, 8-7, in 10 innings. That’s the game people remember because Rajai Davis’ eighth-inning home run to tie the game 6-6 was so dramatic. But the bats were quiet in the three other games the Indians lost — 5-1 in Game 2, 3-2 in Game 5 and 9-3 in Game 6.

Indians President Chris Antonetti could have re-signed Napoli and fans would have welcomed the bearded slugger back, despite the disappearing act Napoli performed in the playoffs. Instead, team owner Paul Dolan opened his checkbook and okayed a three-year, $60 million offer to Encarnacion.

Encarnacion started slowly in April. Does anyone remember that now? And if you do remember, do you even care he hit .200 the first month of the season with four home runs and nine RBI? He wasn’t worried and neither was Indians manager Terry Francona.

Six months later, the Indians are counting on Encarnacion to deliver when it really matters.

“Everybody is here to play,” Encarnacion said. “We’re here to win the World Series and do everything we can to give our all so we can win.”

Encarnacion took his invisible parrot for a ride on 38 home run trots this season. His 107 RBI are the most by an Indians player since Victor Martinez drove in 114 runs in 2007.

With Jose Ramirez hitting third, Encarnacion cleanup and Jay Bruce fifth, the middle of Francona’s lineup will be much more potent than it was a year ago when Francisco Lindor hit in front of Napoli and struggled in the final two games of the World Series.

“I played with Edwin with the Reds in 2008 before he got traded (to Toronto) in 2009,” Bruce said. “It’s been really impressive to see what kind of player he’s turned into. I’m just fortunate to be on this side of it with him.”

Lindor, for all his success as a young superstar, was 0-for-3 in Game 6, a 9-3 Indians loss. He left three runners on base. Lindor was 0-for-5 in Game 7 (as was Napoli) and stranded two runners.

Encarnacion will be a threat every time he walks to the plate. That makes the Indians better before the playoffs even begin.